CHAPTER 31 – THE COURTING WAR
Even though I had officially left Sterling's, the chaos that followed me didn't stop. Adrian, ever the persistent, charming, and impossibly protective man, had made it his personal mission to continue his "courting sessions."
It was almost exhausting just keeping up with him. Flowers on my doorstep, surprise coffee deliveries, handwritten notes… even random phone calls with flirty tones that made my cheeks heat. Adrian insisted he wasn't going anywhere until he "won my heart officially," as he dramatically put it.
I was sipping tea in my apartment one afternoon when my phone buzzed. A message from Dante.
"Auri… you need to make him stop."
I sighed, pressing my temples. If only it were that simple. I typed back:
"Dante… you know I can't. He's persistent. He doesn't take no for an answer."
The reply came almost instantly.
"Then I'll make him stop."
I groaned. This was going to be a disaster.
No sooner had I set my cup down than there was a sharp knock at the door. My heart skipped a beat. I peeked through the peephole.
Adrian.
I opened the door hesitantly. "Adrian… what—"
"Hello, Auri," he said with a charming smile, stepping inside before I could stop him. "I just wanted to see you. Make sure my favorite lady is okay."
"I… Adrian, you can't just—" I started, but he waved me off with a playful grin.
"Relax, I'm not dangerous. Well… not very," he teased, leaning casually against the wall.
My cheeks warmed. I didn't have the energy to argue, but I also couldn't let him stay too long. I was already imagining Dante's reaction if he knew Adrian had shown up unannounced.
And then I heard a deep, dangerous voice behind me.
"You let him in?"
I froze. Turning around slowly, my heart sank. Dante. Dark suit, eyes blazing, jaw tight, the kind of look that could stop time.
Adrian's grin faltered. "Dante! I… we were just—"
Dante stepped closer, fists slightly clenched. "Just what?" His voice was low, dangerous, and full of warning.
Adrian mirrored his posture, equally furious. "She's fine. I'm just visiting. No harm done."
Dante's gaze darkened. "No harm? You're still pursuing her. She's mine."
Adrian's hands clenched, and the tension in the room grew to an almost unbearable level. "She's not yours, Dante. She's not anyone's possession. And if you think you can boss me around…"
Before I could even process, the first blow landed—not literally, but a shove of egos and tension that sent both men stepping forward. What started as verbal threats quickly escalated. Dante lunged toward Adrian, Adrian met him, and suddenly they were practically tumbling into each other, fists flailing, faces tightening, bodies pressing dangerously close.
"Stop! Both of you!" I shouted, stepping between them, arms outstretched. "I said stop!"
But they weren't listening. They were too focused on each other, two alpha males refusing to back down. I felt my cheeks burn as they pushed and shoved, the apartment now a battlefield for their pride and obsession.
"Dante! Adrian! Seriously—stop it!" I tried again, my voice cracking slightly.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they both froze, chests heaving, glaring at each other. Their faces were flushed, lips slightly swollen from the scuffles, and both looked infuriated—but also impossibly determined.
I pressed a hand to my forehead, exhaling sharply. "You two are impossible," I muttered.
Dante stepped closer to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "She's mine," he said, voice low but firm.
Adrian, not to be outdone, mirrored him on the other side. "And I will never stop trying."
I groaned, caught in the middle of two men who refused to listen, refuse to back down, and clearly weren't going to stop their battle anytime soon.
"You're going to destroy my apartment if you keep this up!" I shouted, trying to separate them.
Both men paused for a moment, realizing their squabble had turned into a full-blown disaster. Then they glared at each other again, jaws tight.
"You see what you made me do?" Dante muttered under his breath, still holding my gaze.
Adrian smirked, brushing dust from his sleeve. "You made me fight for her. That's all."
I closed my eyes, pressing a hand to my temple. "I don't even know what to say anymore. You're both insane."
Dante leaned down slightly, whispering into my ear. "I don't care. You're mine, and I won't let him take you."
Adrian, mirroring the action, whispered from the other side. "I won't stop until you know my heart, Auri."
I shivered—not from fear, but from the impossibly intense energy radiating from both men. I knew in my heart where I belonged… but convincing these two to stop their ridiculous battle might take months—or maybe it never would.
And in that moment, caught between two men who refused to listen, I realized one thing for certain: my life had just gotten a lot more complicated.